The present invention relates to boat slide channel parts and assemblies useful in the installation or construction of marine canvas products such as dodgers, awnings, biminis, etc.
In the installation of marine canvas products, there is the need to secure the canvas fabric of the product to the surface of a vessel. For example, in the installation of a dodger or spray hood on a sail or power boat, there is a metal framework covered with canvas to form roof and sidewall portions. Typically, also, there is clear vinyl side and front windows for visibility from the cockpit. The canvas sidewalls require some form of attachment to the deck surface. Traditional dodgers are attached using snaps or twist fasteners. However, this type of attachment does not seal against water leakage, and it pulls or stretches the fabric at the attachment points.
Another type of attachment is the slide channel assembly. This type of attachment has a mounting flange and an offset groove for receiving a sliding insert sewn to the fabric. The flange is affixed to the deck surface. The coupling of the sliding insert in the groove serves to attach the fabric to the deck surface.
The flanged attachment, however, presents formidable problems in many canvas product installations. For example, a dodger installation around the cockpit of a boat requires the sidewalls to bend around curves. Flanged attachments do not easily conform to such curves; and require a "v" shaped notch in the flange in order to allow it to bend in an arc or around a corner. This shaping of the flanged attachment is not only a time-consuming and expensive operation; it results in an unattractive installation. Particularly if the flanged attachment is made of aluminum, there is great risk of kinking the material when attempting to fit it around a curve. If there is kinking, the material must be scrapped.
The flanged attachment also presents problems in affixing it to a deck surface. The attachment is affixed by screwing only the flange into place against the deck surface. The load-bearing groove is thereby left unsupported. This results in the groove being pulled away from the surface. There is great risk of failure, particularly if made of plastic, due to the unsupported load-bearing groove.